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Scientists transform blood into regenerative materials, paving the way for personalized 3D printed implants

Scientists transform blood into regenerative materials, paving the way for personalized 3D printed implants

Researchers holding 3D printed PA blood constructs. Credit: University of Nottingham

Scientists have created a new “biocooperative” blood-based material that has been shown to be effective in repairing bones, paving the way for personalized regenerative blood products that could be used as effective therapies to treat injuries and diseases.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham’s Schools of Pharmacy and Chemical Engineering have used peptide molecules that can guide key processes occurring during natural tissue healing to create living materials that enhance tissue regeneration. The research is published in Advanced materials.

Most of our body tissues have evolved to regenerate breaks or fractures with remarkable efficiency, provided they are small. This healing process is very complex. The initial stages rely on liquid blood forming the solid regenerative hematoma (RH), a rich, living microenvironment comprising key cells, macromolecules, and factors that orchestrate regeneration.

The team developed a self-assembly methodology in which synthetic peptides are mixed with whole blood collected from the patient to create a material that harnesses key molecules, cells and mechanisms of the natural healing process. In this way, it was possible to design regenerative materials capable of not only imitating the natural RH, but also improving its structural and functional properties.

These materials can be easily assembled, manipulated, and even 3D printed while retaining the normal functions of natural RH, such as normal platelet behavior, generation of growth factors, and recruitment of relevant cells important for healing. Using this method, the team demonstrated the ability to successfully repair bones in animal models using the animal’s blood.

Alvaro Mata, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials in the School of Pharmacy and Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham and who led the study, said: “For years, scientists have been investigating synthetic approaches to recreate the natural regenerative environment, which has proven difficult given its inherent complexity. Here we took an approach of trying to work with biology instead of recreating it.

“This ‘biocooperative’ approach opens up opportunities to develop regenerative materials by exploiting and enhancing the mechanisms of the natural healing process. In other words, our approach aims to use the regenerative mechanisms we evolved with as manufacturing steps to design regenerative materials.”

Dr Cosimo Ligorio from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham is a co-author of the study. He said: “The ability to easily and safely transform patients’ blood into highly regenerative implants is truly exciting. Blood is virtually free and can be easily obtained from patients in relatively high volumes.

“Our goal is to establish a toolbox that could be easily accessed and used in a clinical setting to quickly and safely transform patients’ blood into rich, accessible and tunable regenerative implants.

More information:
Soraya Padilla-Lopategui et al, Biocooperative regenerative materials by exploiting blood coagulation and peptide self-assembly, Advanced materials (2024). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202407156

Provided by the University of Nottingham

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